House panel summons Air India chief

Amid its financial woes, allegation of a job scam is set to haunt Air India (AI). A parliamentary panel has asked the airline’s CMD Rohit Nandan to reply to allegations of almost 1000 recruitments through bribes in the joint venture (JV) between AI and Singapore-based SATS for ground handling in Indian airports.

Amid its financial woes, allegation of a job scam is set to haunt Air India (AI). A parliamentary panel has asked the airline’s CMD Rohit Nandan to reply to allegations of almost 1000 recruitments through bribes in the joint venture (JV) between AI and Singapore-based SATS for ground handling in Indian airports.

A parliamentary probe is also on the anvil into the issue of the AI-SATS joint venture, which is seen by a section of the panel as eating into the revenues of the loss-making airline.

Sitaram Yechury, the chairman of the standing committee on transport, tourism and culture, has shot a letter to Nandan on Friday saying, “It is alleged that a huge amount… to the tune of Rs 1-2 lakh per candidate… is bribed to the SATS officials in the name of Air India.”

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He added, “SATS on its own have recruited around 1000 employees in AI’s name, flouting the recruitment norms. AI, being a 50% partner, was not even consulted for these recruitments. The government is nationalising the AI’s loss and privatising its profits.” Nandan may depose on February 21.